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312th out of 3,396 books
—
7,815 voters
I Heard That Song Before
Kay Lansing grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, daughter of the landscaper to the wealthy and powerful Carrington family. One day, accompanying her father to work, six-year-old Kay overhears a quarrel between a man and a woman that ends with the man's caustic response: "I heard that song before." That same evening, young Peter Carrington drives the nineteen-year-old daughter...more
Hardcover, 318 pages
Published
2007
by Simon & Schuster
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I haven't read Mary Higgins Clark in a long time. Years ago, I remember finding her books really terrifying and yet really clever. Perhaps I have become jaded or perhaps she is slipping, but this book was a bit ho-hum. The premise of a sleepwalker being charged with a crime was very interesting and the idea of the young girl marrying the older wealthy man who lives in a mansion was reminiscent of the old Gothic romance. I was hoping for a new twist on the type of book I read as a teenager. But i...more
I have read almost every book this author has written and was excited to come across this fairly new story last week. As always it was a page turner... completely captivating and a very easy read. If you've read enough of her books you can usually pick out the murderer in the first couple of chapters... this time I narrowed it down to two and picked the wrong one (but I was close!)! Very typical MHC - fun to read, interesting plot, not a lot of character development but enough to make you want t...more
This book was really bad. The characters are so flat that calling them two dimensional would be a compliment and tend to do and think things that haveno basis in reality.
The story is predictable and written in such a way that I found myself thinking, after every few pages, "Ah yes, the author is trying to trick me into thinking xyz, but it won't be." It was done in such an obvious way that I actually felt insulted. This story is written from the perspective of everyone who has even thought of s...more
The story is predictable and written in such a way that I found myself thinking, after every few pages, "Ah yes, the author is trying to trick me into thinking xyz, but it won't be." It was done in such an obvious way that I actually felt insulted. This story is written from the perspective of everyone who has even thought of s...more
A coworker passed this book on to me to read. I Heard That Song Before was actually the first book I've read by Mary Higgins Clark - I know she has a ton out there too. I wasn't sure what to expect but started reading the book a few days ago.
I Heard That Song Before circles primarily around Kay and Peter Carrington (they start off not knowing each other and their relationship turns into marriage in about 2 paragraphs - that was a little different for me). Peter has a tragic past as he has been a...more
I Heard That Song Before circles primarily around Kay and Peter Carrington (they start off not knowing each other and their relationship turns into marriage in about 2 paragraphs - that was a little different for me). Peter has a tragic past as he has been a...more
I Heard that Song Before is again another recommendable book written by Mary Higgins Clark. It is about the Carrington Family – one of the US’s richest families. There are three murder cases and all characters try to figure out who the murderer is. In the beginning everything seems to point to Peter Carrington who was in a relationship with two of the victims. But is this notorious sleepwalker really capable to murder three people. And if yes, did he do it conscious or during one of his sleepwal...more
Aug 29, 2009
Dlora
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
murder-mystery,
romance
After a whirlwind romance (glossed over in a few sentences), librarian Kay Lansing marries extremely rich, high-society Peter Carrington who has had many tragedies in his life: his mother died when he was young, a girlfriend disappears after a party at their house and is presumed murdered, and Peter's first wife who is drunk and pregnant is found drowned in their swimming pool. Kay's own father, who was a landscape gardeners for the rich Carringtons, committed suicide in her early life. All thes...more
Feb 09, 2008
Jaime
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
psychological_suspense,
2008
This book had all the right ingredients for a good thriller — love, money, murder, drugs, blackmail… Instead it was a hot mess. Very choppy, very hurried in parts, characters you can’t relate to because you don’t *know* anything about them. Kay and Peter’s entire meeting, courtship, wedding, and honeymoon is covered in 4 pages, which makes it very hard to buy their devotion to one another. I finished it to see what the ending twist would be, but it wasn’t very enjoyable.
I listened to this book on CD as I drove from Nebraska to Ohio, and I enjoyed it. It is classic Mary Higgins Clark. I was not able to solve it much before the unveiling, so that is satisfying. No point in reading it if you can figure it out in the first chapter! Until then, there were a few different suspects that I couldn't rule out, so I enjoyed going along, learning clues, and solving the mystery along with the other characters.
The book revolves around three different deaths that don't all se...more
The book revolves around three different deaths that don't all se...more
I enjoyed this book so much! It was literally difficult to put down. The puzzle of "who did what, when" was difficult to unravel, but of course looking back I wonder how I didn't know....the art of a good writer. It was my first Mary Higgins Clark book and I'm pleased to find another author that I enjoy so much. She reminds me a little of one of my all-time-favorite authors, Victoria Holt.
The mystery and the suspense were very well done, it kept me guessing till the end and my guesses were wron...more
The mystery and the suspense were very well done, it kept me guessing till the end and my guesses were wron...more
I hadn't picked up a Mary Higgins Clark book in a few years. Mainly because I've already read most of her books since she's one of my favorite authors. However I Heard That Song Before wasn't nearly as good as her other mysteries. The characters were underdeveloped, which made it hard to like them. Then there was the literal whirlwind romance taking place in just a few pages. This made it hard to believe that Kay really loved her husband, Peter. Clark often changed the grammatical person which m...more
It was good, not as great as I was hoping it would be, but I enjoyed it. My rating is more of a 2 1/2
It wasn't till really later in the book when things start picking up, and the one thing I didn't like was the points of view from everyone. She just kept changing it up every chapter, and there were too many names to remember who's who.
And then I didn't really understand when the 2 (3) murders happened, that didn't really make sense...because in the beginning, Kay talks about how she lived in th...more
It wasn't till really later in the book when things start picking up, and the one thing I didn't like was the points of view from everyone. She just kept changing it up every chapter, and there were too many names to remember who's who.
And then I didn't really understand when the 2 (3) murders happened, that didn't really make sense...because in the beginning, Kay talks about how she lived in th...more
I always enjoy reading Mary Higgins Clark's mysteries. I read this one in two sittings. I appreciate that Clark's stories aren't too gory or intense. In fact, my 13 year old daughter read this one too and she also liked it very much.
The characters aren't extremely deep, but you do get a pretty good idea of the major players. In order to keep the book short enough to read quickly, Clark jumps quickly from what happened long ago to modern day. There were some pretty far-fetched, almost cheesy sit...more
The characters aren't extremely deep, but you do get a pretty good idea of the major players. In order to keep the book short enough to read quickly, Clark jumps quickly from what happened long ago to modern day. There were some pretty far-fetched, almost cheesy sit...more
Okay, first time with this author and I liked it. Picked it up in the airport because I needed more than "People" magazine. I think she had a well-woven murder mystery with an element of love. Good. Easy.
Kay, a local librarian, meets Peter Carrington when she asks him to host a fundraising reception on his estate. It was love at first sight for the couple who wed weeks later, but the honeymoon period ended fast when Peter was arrested and sent to jail for the murder of a friend and neighbor, Susan Althorp, who had been killed 22 years ago. Kay begins to uncover long hidden secrets which she hopes will help to prove the innocence of her husband. She has to be careful, though, because someone clos...more
Not sure what the attraction was...I stuck through it because the author is so prolific...but there were some GLARING errors here on how cops proceed in cases, and how they talk to the point that they police were little more than props in this story. I guessed the outcome 1/2 way through, and read through more descriptive pages that seemed to serve no purpose other than to show me the author's ability to describe things.
If this is a page turner, this would be why I don't normally read mystery/d...more
If this is a page turner, this would be why I don't normally read mystery/d...more
This is the first MHC book I've read in 15+ years, and it was pretty much just like I remember her writing. A solid, typical mystery, driven by plot, with a few too many characters and too few clues along the way to let the reader have a chance at guessing who done it. I like to be mislead in a mystery, but I want the real killer to be as suspicious as the other suspects the whole way. I'm always let down if it's someone uninteresting until he's revealed as the killer. The characters were sketch...more
Dec 04, 2012
Cláudia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2008,
mystery-thriller-suspense
Ainda não cheguei à conclusão se esta autora foi baixando o nível de qualidade e a originalidade dos livros ao longo dos anos ou se fui simplesmente eu que mudei os meus gostos literários, pois a verdade é que tenho a recordação de gostar bastante dos livros e serem policiais cheios de suspense e agora acho a escrita muito linear e a história com poucas evoluções.
Com isto não quero dizer que o livro seja mau, lê-se bem e rápido e prende a atenção, mas não traz nada de novo. O final é surpreenden...more
Com isto não quero dizer que o livro seja mau, lê-se bem e rápido e prende a atenção, mas não traz nada de novo. O final é surpreenden...more
At first, I was so confused about the plot of this book because I didn't understand what the point of the opening was and what was happening. It is written in a backwards sort of way with events occurring at the beginning of the book, as it nicely unwinds into a who-done-it mystery novel. The more I listened to this book, the more I enjoyed and became absorbed by it. I'm sure that reading this book must be so much more thrilling than listening to it.
It was an interesting book that didn't turn o...more
It was an interesting book that didn't turn o...more
قراءة خفيفة وجميلة.
أحب النمط الأميركي في الروايات، أحب واقعيته وبساطته، وذكاءه.
الكاتبة بارعة جداً وذكرتني بكريستي إلى حد بعيد.
أحب النمط الأميركي في الروايات، أحب واقعيته وبساطته، وذكاءه.
الكاتبة بارعة جداً وذكرتني بكريستي إلى حد بعيد.
I picked this up for a pulpy read while traveling to Europe on business. Is it great writing? No. Is it a compelling story? Nope. Did it keep me completely riveted so that I couldn't put it down? Oh yes!
Mary Higgens Clark has this talent for writing suspense novels that are complete page turners. So, while I didn't really like her style of prose, didn't find any of the characters sympathetic or even likable, for it's purposes, the book was great.
I found the ending trite and the plot twist at the...more
Mary Higgens Clark has this talent for writing suspense novels that are complete page turners. So, while I didn't really like her style of prose, didn't find any of the characters sympathetic or even likable, for it's purposes, the book was great.
I found the ending trite and the plot twist at the...more
I finished this book for two reasons-I rarely give up on a book, and I was curious to see if either of the two characters I had chosen as the murderer was correct. I was partly correct-one my choices was an accomplice. I had trouble following the storyline-there were multiple characters with relatively little time spent on their development. The main female character met and married an extremely wealthy businessman, in the first few pages. I never really found myself invested in any of the chara...more
This is my second Mary Higgins Clark book. I didn't love the first one, but decided I'd give her a second read since she has such a huge following.
She has a way of introducing the mystery and dragging the reader in, but then it kind of drags and flops at the end. "I Heard That Song Before" was no different. I almost gave up in the middle, but endured on just to find out "whodunnit." It was predictable and not very climactic.
So, Ms. Clark, I've read two of your books and was not all that impress...more
She has a way of introducing the mystery and dragging the reader in, but then it kind of drags and flops at the end. "I Heard That Song Before" was no different. I almost gave up in the middle, but endured on just to find out "whodunnit." It was predictable and not very climactic.
So, Ms. Clark, I've read two of your books and was not all that impress...more
Enjoyable, if a bit cliched... Having read a few MHC books, I can compare this to others. it's not a bad book - about 3.5/4 stars. I liked 'No Place Like Home' better than this book, but that doesn't mean this book was bad. There's enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting. Like her other books, the most obvious-seeming suspect isn't the one who dunnit, so there's all these little clues peppered through the book that keep you wondering. At first you think, gee, maybe the husband DID...more
Just what one expects from a Mary Higgins Clark formula: a few possible suspects from the outset, some twists and turns, and a fairly predictable ending. This is her formula. I always enjoy trying to predict the killer within the first twenty pages. Occasionally, I begin to doubt myself as I turn the pages, but I am usually right with my initial prediction. But this is what makes these books such fun to read!
Almost two days of my reading time on the beach were taken up with this one, and I don'...more
Almost two days of my reading time on the beach were taken up with this one, and I don'...more
1 like · like · see review
I struggled for a good 15 minutes deciding whether to rate this book 4 or 5 stars. Overall, the book was amazing. I finished over 300 pages in less than 3 days. The plot was confusing but phenomenal, introducing a confusing topic of sleepwalking-- a topic that is very difficult to pin in the judicial system. The only thing I would change is how everyone is a suspect. There came a point I thought I was guilty. It's almost overkill; I was exhausted by the time I reached the afterword. Anyways, the...more
I don't think I have ever read a books by Mary Higgins Clark and read this one only because I had left my holiday book at home and this one was the first book I saw in the store! Reading the back I liked the premise of the possibility of a sleepwalker killing people and being unaware; I was also expecting a suspense thriller. There are a couple of twists to lead you up the wrong alley and, I found myself having some empathy with the heroine, but overall this book is a light read, not scary and s...more
'I read that book before'! No, actually I am sure I have not, but all through the book, with all the twists and turns, I seemed to know what was going to happen next. Is it because I am a great sleuth? I'm wondering if there had been a movie based on this book that I might have seen. At any rate, it was a fun read. Mystery, romance, intrigue - and the good guys win! Another story where had the truth been told early on, there would have been an entirely different story going. I guess that's part...more
I used to love Mary Higgins Clark and read every book of hers that I could get my hands on... until I ran out of her books to read.
To sum of this book in one word -disappointing. I couldn't get over some of the grammar issues and it really doesn't even seem like the old Mary Higgins Clark books that I loved. The story wasn't bad, it was just felt like lots of important parts had been pulled out. There were many sentences where the object would be lost... I hope it's not that Mary Higgins Clark h...more
To sum of this book in one word -disappointing. I couldn't get over some of the grammar issues and it really doesn't even seem like the old Mary Higgins Clark books that I loved. The story wasn't bad, it was just felt like lots of important parts had been pulled out. There were many sentences where the object would be lost... I hope it's not that Mary Higgins Clark h...more
There is no denying Ms. Clark's success as an author, but I was disappointed with this book. I read it because I finished my first book on vacation too quickly and I wanted something else to read. I came very close to putting it down early on but I hate doing that, so I pushed through and finished it. I was glad I did finish it but it wasn't easy. The book borrows heavily from "Rebecca" and the author's wanton usage of cliches, especially to close chapters, became annoying and repetitive. If you...more
1 like · like · see review
I like Clark's books; they are clean, and nothing really offensive in it, thought those kind of things don't generally bother me.
The premise of this book was the story of Kay Lansing, the daughter of a landscaper. She is a librarian (really) and talks to Peter Carrington, businessman, owner of the lavish Carrington estate, and "person of interest" in two murders. Kay and Peter fall in love. Peter is finally formally accused of murder and Kay works to clear his name. The plot was riveting. The ch...more
The premise of this book was the story of Kay Lansing, the daughter of a landscaper. She is a librarian (really) and talks to Peter Carrington, businessman, owner of the lavish Carrington estate, and "person of interest" in two murders. Kay and Peter fall in love. Peter is finally formally accused of murder and Kay works to clear his name. The plot was riveting. The ch...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary H. Clark | 7 | 41 | Dec 17, 2012 07:48am |
Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney, best known as Mary Higgins Clark, (b December 24, 1927 in the Bronx, New York) is an American author of suspense novels. Each of her twenty-four suspense novels has been a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of her novels remain in print as of 2007, with her debut suspense novel, Where Are The Children, in its sevent...more
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